Recycled Concrete at the 2012 Olympics

With the recent Vancouver Olympics taking the title of the "greenest" and most sustainable games ever, London is gearing up for 2012. Their plan is to use sustainable techniques and practices for nearly every aspect of the games, in hopes that the United Kingdom can decisively take the title of the most sustainable Olympic Games away from Canada.

A large part of London's plan involves using recycled products in the construction of the Olympic complex. One such product that will be widely used is recycled concrete aggregates. Recycled aggregates are made from materials such as bricks and concrete that are crushed and turned into a product ready for reuse in the construction of new buildings or roads. Recycling concrete into aggregates is considered to be more sustainable than mining, processing and transporting new aggregates.

In the UK, and around the world, it is becoming quite popular for buildings that are being demolished to become part of regeneration projects. The quality of recycled aggregates from demolition projects is improving and becoming an appealing, eco-friendly option for building endeavors such as the 2012 Olympic complex in London. The planners of the complex have asked for 20-5mm recycled aggregate, which is a very clean specification.

It will be interesting to see how recycled concrete aggregates are put to use in London as they prepare to host the 2012 summer Olympic Games. It will also be interesting to see the other ways recycled aggregates get put to use in the construction industry, and whether or not they have a place in decorative concrete applications.